Without Him . . .

 

Without Him I could do nothing,

Without Him I'd surely fail;

Without Him I would be drifting

Like a ship without a sail.

Without Him I would be dying,

Without Him I'd be enslaved;

Without Him life would be hopeless--

But with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved.

 

Jesus, O Jesus!  Do you know Him today?

Do not turn Him away!  O Jesus, O Jesus,

Without Him, how lost I would be.

~By Mylon R. LeFevre (Copyright 1963, LeFevre Sing Publ. Co.)

 

What can I do without Jesus?  Nothing.  Several times in the last year, He has brought me to my knees in the realization my life is His, not mine.  I can truly do nothing without Him. 

 

My "self" has continually gotten in the way of that over the years, I always try to maintain control of my situation . . . I can't let down my guard and lose control of anything in my life, so I can't truly give the Lord my EVERYTHING.  The past year was taken up with many medical problems, each to the point where I had to let go and let Jesus take over a little more of my life.

 

Recently, my husband has been dealing with a potentially serious illness, and the stress of waiting for diagnosis has finally brought me to a point where I can honestly give my life over to the Lord . . . it's too much for me to handle and my life really belongs to Him.  The Lord truly knows what's best for us, He is truly in charge.  I can rest in whatever situation He has for me; I know it has been allowed by Him, He will help me through it and will help me to learn in it.  Thank you, Jesus!

 

Not that I speak in regard to need,

 for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content;

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. 

Everywhere and in all things I have learned

both to be full and to be hungry,

both to abound, and to suffer need. 

 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

~Philippians 4:11-13

 

*Photo by Olivia Richardson, Copyright 2016

Merry Christmas!
 

Thank you God for sending Jesus.

 

And she will bring forth a son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
~Matthew 1:21

 

Our Daily Bread

 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His mercy endures forever! ~Psalm 118:1

Thank you God for this country, our founding fathers, a warm house, plenty of food, Your beautiful creation, a loving family, and most of all, thank you for salvation through Jesus Christ!  What a wonderful reminder for us to be thankful.  We can thank the Lord for His love for us, no matter what circumstance we are in.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 

Our Daily Bread

Following Him

 

 

As the world changes rapidly, how willing are we to follow God in the midst of persecution?  Living in the United States, it's been easy to SAY we follow Christ and devote our life to Him.  But, we haven't had to face a situation where our faith in Christ could lead to imprisonment or even death.  Are we still willing to follow Him with the threat of that kind of persecution?

 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 
II Timothy 3:12

 

In the recent college shooting, students were asked if they were Christians.  Knowing the outcome of their answer, they didn't back down.  How would we respond?

 

How about a lesser persecution?   As Christians, our freedoms are rapidly being taken away.  Can we remain steadfast in the Lord and not compromise our belief in Him by giving in to the world's immoral demands?  What are we willing to lose to stand up for what we know is right according to God's Word?  As our country continues downward, we will face persecution right here . . . are you ready?

 

I think we've become complacent and give in to the world's distorted view of what is right far too easily.  We need to know what is right and wrong according to the Word of God.  Stay steadfast, spend time in prayer and studying God's Word each day.  Rejoice in the persecution you endure!  Yes, rejoice, knowing we are growing closer to God.  Rejoice, in the opportunity to pray for those who persecute us. 

 

Thank you Lord, for being with us through everything!

 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 
1 Corinthians 15:58

Answered prayers . . .

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And, if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 
1 John 5:14-15
 

Does this mean we can ask anything, as believers, and He will give it to us?  Many people make that mistake.  They conveniently leave out the part "according to His will".   God DOES answer prayer, every single time!  His answer just might be different than we expect.  Since God knows exactly what's best for us, He answers our prayer according to His will.  Praise to Lord!
 

What is God's will?  If we study God's word, we can pray according to His will.  His will brings glory and honor to Him and is always according to His word.  Pray for wisdom in knowing God's will.  Study God's word . . . 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 is a great place to start. 
 

Have a glorious day!  It's fall here in Wisconsin, cold nights and warm(ish) days are ushering in the season.  It's time for a trip to the apple orchard, a fire in the wood stove at night, and a rush to complete projects before winter sets in!
 

Enjoy fall!  Rejoice in the beauty God has given us!
 

Whose time?

Whose time is it?

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  ~Ephesians 5:15

How easy it is to let my day get away from me, to waste my time on something of little importance the next day, let alone to eternity.  When I think of my time as a gift from the Lord, and not really "mine" at all, but His, it puts a whole new perspective on what I do.  What can I do for Him today with the time He has given me?  Will doing this or that matter for eternity?  Will it matter for someone else's eternity? 

Spring is here in Wisconsin! It's easy to feel refreshed with the spring air blowing through the open windows.  Thank you Lord for spring breezes!  Help me to remember that MY time is actually YOUR time and I should use it for YOUR glory!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas! 

Thank you God for sending Your Son!  

What's Christmas?  Read the REAL Christmas story, the reason we are celebrating in Luke 2:1-20. Christmas shows us God's tremendous LOVE for us. Merry Christmas!

Hurray for snow!

SNOW!  The first STICKING snow of the season!  Yay!  Yep, if you live in WI, you might as well be excited about things like snow and cold and short days and wind chills and ice and frozen pipes and frostbite and . . . .  Okay, maybe not all of that!  Regardless, we were thrilled to see the snow actually staying on the ground today with more expected tonight.  We certainly aren't getting the nearly 2 feet of snow some places in northern WI received over the weekend, but this is a good start.

Along with snow today came venison for supper (with stuffing, rice, steamed cabbage & carrots).  Mmm, another first of the season!  Thanks honey for providing meat for the table!

That's Trouble, our top rooster in the pic, he's coming out of the hen house and heading to the greenhouse (can you say "spoiled chickens"?)!  The greenhouse (aka the Bubble) isn't heated, but does get warm with the sun and keeps the wind and snow/rain off the chickens so they can enjoy their day.  They love it, especially in winter!

Finding time

Finding time for daily devotions . . .
"I don't have time to read the bible or do a devotion, I barely have time to get dressed!"  Ever said those words or some like it?  It's easy for us to get so involved in the world (and worldly things) that we think we can't make time for God.  Spending time in His word, studying it and praying are the most important things we can do all day.  Here are some ideas on fitting time with God into your already busy day (some of these came from Doorposts):

1. Start with small goals (don't endeavor to read a full chapter in a book of the bible, try aiming for just a paragraph or just 5 or 6 verses).  Don't choose a long devotional, pick one that is short, meaningful and workable in 5 min.  Don't have a devotional?  Our Daily Bread (odb.org)offers an emailed or printed copy of their daily devotionals that include a short passage to read from the bible (you can even click to read it on the email version), plus a short devotion.
2. Put everything you need in one place so it's ready to grab when you have 5 min.
3. Where?  Carry a small bible with you to squeeze in a little bible reading anytime you're waiting (in line, waiting to pick someone up (or waiting to be picked up), etc.).  If you ride (instead of drive), that's a perfect time to read, pray, and do a devotional. 
4. When?  Have a little break at work or school, there you go!  Just layed the children down for a nap, there you go!  Waiting for something, there you go!  You get the idea, there are 5 min. increments of time in our day to squeeze in anything.
5. Can you get up 5 min. earlier?  Or, can you take 5 min. before going to bed?  How about honoring good priorities and doing a devotion before checking your email or going online?
6. If you're a busy mama of little ones, how about starting a 30 min. quiet time in the afternoon where they can do anything quiet on their beds (play, read, nap), with no talking?  It might take a bit of time to make it work, but eventually you will all value that special 30 min. of quiet. 
7. If your children are old enough, have them start learning to do a devotion when you do.
8. Pray for wisdom in finding time to devote to God.  He desires that we spend time reading and studying His Word and praying, if we pray for guidance in finding time to do that, He will help us. 
9. Something I heard a while back may help us put perspective in this . . . do you reach for your bible as often as you do your cell phone?  Do you never want to leave home without it (like you do your cell phone or purse)?  Do you spend time in prayer as often as you do on your cell phone?

May the Lord help you find time today and everyday to spend with Him!  "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)

As I write, a commercial airliner has been shot down in the Ukraine, Israel has launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, thousands of refugees/illegal immigrant children are pouring into the United States along with a number of undetected illegals who are taking advantage of our currently less-secured border, people around the country are fighting for their "rights" and against laws they say are discriminatory to their alternative lifestyle, our country seems to be upside down in declaring what's wrong as right and what was once known by all to be right is now said to be wrong, . . .  Listening to or reading the news can be depressing or even scary, not knowing what's going to happen next. 

Don't despair, there is hope.  I spent last week as a counselor at a bible camp with no radio, no computer, no internet, no tv, no video games, and no newspapers.  My contact with the outside world was a few text messages relaying prayer requests and one phone call to my husband on his birthday.  We learned about God's creation, we spent time in personal and cabin devotion with our Lord, chapel time, games, hiking, swimming, singing, talking, walking, sharing, praying, . . .  Spending time in God's creation, each responsible for kids we had never met before that week but would have given our life to protect.  We prayed for them, ran with them, shared our lives with them, and took care of them.  Most of all, they learned more about God that week and we learned even more than they did.  Yes, I can put my complete trust in my Lord.  He asked, I was willing, and He sustained me through the week.  I know God planned for me to be at camp this year, He planned for each of the children to be there too.

Yes, the world is in turmoil, seemingly more every day, but we know God is in charge.  Nothing surprises Him, He knows everything about us, everything going on now and everything that will happen for eternity.  Psalm 139:16 says "...and in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them."   God knows what He's doing, He has my life planned out for me, that's a comfort beyond measure.  He allows certain things to happen in this world, we don't always understand why, but we can rest in the assurance that God is in charge.  Our country will continue down this path for as long as the Lord allows, but I am not worried . . . this world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through.

Being respectable . . .

Respectable words . . .
I recently read an article on words that will give you a better first (and lasting) impression.  As I was reading through the article, it occurred to me that many of these words have gone by the wayside in our current "all for me" world, and that this list could easily be added to.  So, I added to it, changed some and left some out . . . anyway, here's my list:

1. Please and Thank You . . . I know most of us teach our young children to say please and thank you, but how many of us adults remember to use the words? 
2. You're Welcome . . . Instead of grunting, saying "Yep" or "No Problem", or giving the person some excuse for why they shouldn't have said "Thank You" to you in the first place (you know you do it, "Oh, It Was Nothing", etc.) . . . how about a simple "You're Welcome"? 
3. Sir and Ma'am . . . I love visiting the south and hearing the politeness coming from the majority of people you meet, all using the lovely word "Ma'am" when addressing me.  A sure sign of respect that has been long lost up north in WI.
4. I'm Sorry . . . Saying "I'm Sorry" isn't anything to be ashamed about, even to your own children.  We should say we're sorry (and truly mean it) whenever we do something we shouldn't have. 
5. What do you need? -or- How can I help? -or- What can I do for you? . . . These are pretty self-explanatory, but they really show that you care about the person you're asking.  Even simply picking up something someone dropped, shows respect and care for that person.
6. I'll Do That . . . When's the last time you heard anyone offer to do something?  Many times we hear our children say "I Didn't Do That", and we try to teach them to clean up the mess regardless, but do we utilize that same lesson in our own lives?  Sometimes.  How about just doing something, whether it's your job to do it or not?
7. Take My Seat . . . Unfortunately, in today's world, it seems a rare event to see someone give up a seat for a person who needs it (whether the person is elderly, pregnant, disabled, juggling children or packages, or simply out-of-breath and needing a little rest).   It's an easy act, and a welcome relief for the person (if they are willing to take it, don't be surprised if they don't).

So, if you so desire, join me in trying to remember some of these simple acts of respect.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

If you died today, where would you spend eternity?  Have you ever thought about it?

That decision is the most important one you will ever make!  Did you know that we are all sinners?  The Bible says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Not one of us is good enough to get into Heaven on our own, we are deserving of His eternal punishment.  "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). 

Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, became a man and died to pay the penalty for our sins.  "God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  Jesus died on the cross, taking the punishment we deserve, then rose from the dead three days later.

If we put our trust in Jesus, by admitting that we are sinners and believing that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, we will have eternal life in Heaven.  "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

Wherever you are right now, you can admit to God that you are a sinner and are truly sorry for your sins.  Tell God you accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Savior; that you believe He paid the penalty for your sins when He died on the cross.  The moment you accept Christ, the grace of God guarantees you eternal life in Heaven.  You can have a relationship with God, He can help you turn away from your sinful life and towards Him.  His gift is free, all you have to do is accept it!  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Life on earth is uncertain, it can end at any time for any of us.  Don't wait for the last minute to make this decision.  Everyone is given a choice.  What will you choose?  Would you like to know more?  Just ask.

Creation vs Evolution

Tonight 2/4/14 . . . don't miss the live debate between Bill Nye (the Science Guy) and Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) tonight at 6 p.m. (CST).  You can watch it live at www.debatelive.org or www.vcyamerica.org (also available in ASL at www.debateliveASL.org).

The theme for tonight's debate:  "Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern, scientific era?"  Each man will deliver what they believe is the best current information for their debate, followed by rebuttal and questions from the audience (moderated by CNNs Tom Foreman).

1,000,000+ people may be watching online tonight!  While it's likely that this debate will probably not persuade most people to believe one way or the other, my prayer is that the information will be allowed to be given and eyes will be opened.  This may be one of the only opportunities some evolutionists (or those on the fence) have to see the whole biblical picture and scientific evidence of the truth of God's Word.

A great educational opportunity for young and old!

What is Christmas?

Christmas trees, decorations, wreaths, lights, presents, last minute shopping, school programs, all the busyness of this time of year . . . is that all there is to Christmas?

Over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem.  Not just any baby, as miraculous as babies are, this baby was Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.  This baby was God in human flesh, being born to pay the penalty for OUR sin.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.  (John 1:1, 14)

Christmas points us to the promise of salvation, eternal life with our Creator for all who truly believe, put their trust in Him, and repent of their sins.  Jesus Christ came, died and rose again to pay our sin penalty, a penalty we can't pay.  The bible says . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  If you haven't already accepted God's wonderful gift, we pray you will consider it as you celebrate Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas!

Hey Duck Dynasty family . . . we support you!  THANK YOU Phil Robertson for not being afraid to be biblically (not politically) correct!  Here's a copy of my email to A&E:

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We support Phil Robertson and the whole Robertson family and staff.  It may come as a surprise to you, but the majority of people believe exactly what he said about homosexual activity.  If you look at his comments again, you’ll see that he was simply stating a biblical fact, homosexuality is wrong.  He also went on to say that it is a Christian responsibility to not treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different than you are, that we should love one another.  Phil’s comments were not disrespectful, he was simply stating some facts that most of us believe are true. 

 

Hey, we enjoyed them while you allowed them to be on.  A good, down-home, Christian family show definitely goes against what you normally provide your viewers.  We had no reason to watch A&E before, and now we can go back to not watching you.  We’ll still have our Duck Dynasty DVDs, and we still have a common bond with them, it’s called the family of God.

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Good job Robertson clan, for remaining grounded in your faith in God.  We believe the bible does indeed say homosexuality is a sin.  We believe we have come to some of the end times when what’s wrong is considered right and what’s right is now considered wrong.  We have moved so far in the wrong direction, that it's hard for unbelievers to even recognize and know what sin is.  Stay strong, we love you all and support you!

 

Here's a link to the articles:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/18/phil-robertson-suspended-after-comments-about-homosexuality/

http://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/religion/ae-channel-suspends-duck-dynasty-patriarch-for-gay-remarks#.UrTBj8J3vIV

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/23/duck-dynasty-patriarch-phil-robertson-says-will-not-give-after-homosexuality/